The midday sun burned bright in the sky, the heat rolling off the asphalt like waves. Parker's car moved steadily along the highway, the hum of the engine filling the silence between him and Tessa. She was in a good mood, humming along to a pop song, while Parker sat back, eyes scanning the road ahead with his usual indifference.
Then it happened.
A deafening crash shattered the mundane calm, followed by a domino effect of screeching tires and smashing metal. Parker's gaze snapped to the chaos unfolding ahead—a chain collision. A truck had slammed into several cars, sending them spinning and colliding into others like a catastrophic domino line.
Flames burst out of the first car, quickly spreading as smoke filled the sky.
"Holy shit!" Tessa gasped, she lammed on the brakes instinctively, her hand shooting out to keep Parker from lunging forward.
Parker leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. It wasn't just bad—it was catastrophic. At least five cars were crumpled together, flames engulfing two of them. The screams of the injured and trapped pierced through the haze of smoke, creating a chaotic symphony of terror.
"Should we—" Tessa started, but her voice trailed off as something—someone—caught her eye.
A blur of movement darted past their car, too fast to be human.
"Did you see that?" Tessa asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Parker didn't respond. He had seen it, and for the first time in a long time, his usual calm was cracked by a flicker of curiosity.
The blur stopped at the wreckage, resolving into a man—tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating an almost otherworldly energy. His golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his presence alone seemed to command attention.
The crowd gasped as the man moved with inhuman speed, rushing to the first car engulfed in flames. With one swift motion, he yanked the door open and pulled out the driver—a young woman, coughing and barely conscious. He carried her to safety, setting her down gently before vanishing again, reappearing seconds later at another car.
"It's him," someone in the crowd whispered, their voice trembling. "Captain Sun!"
The name spread like wildfire, and all eyes were on the golden-haired savior as he worked.
A child screamed from the backseat of a third car, trapped as flames crept closer. Captain Sun moved faster than the fire itself, reaching in and pulling the child out mere moments before the car exploded in a burst of heat and shrapnel. He shielded the boy with his body, his golden hair gleaming even through the smoke and ash.
"He's not human," Tessa murmured, her knuckles white against the steering wheel.
"Fuck, No," Parker muttered, his voice low. "Of course, he's not."
The flames grew wilder, threatening to spread to the other vehicles. The crowd was frozen, helpless, as Captain Sun stood amidst the chaos. Then, with a deep breath, he exhaled—not air, but frost.
An icy mist spread from his mouth—like a certain hero—blanketing the flames in an instant. The fire hissed and sputtered, retreating under the unnatural cold. The air around him sparkled with frost, the sudden drop in temperature chilling even the spectators standing yards away.
The flames were gone, but the man didn't stop. He dashed toward the last car, where a man was unconscious behind the wheel. The fire had weakened the structure, and the roof was about to cave in. Captain Sun reached the car just as it collapsed, pulling the man out with a speed and strength that defied reason.
The crowd erupted into cheers, some people crying openly as they watched the golden-haired savior stand amidst the wreckage, his work done.
He glanced around once, his piercing golden eyes scanning the crowd, then crouched slightly. Before anyone could approach him, he leapt into the air, shooting upward like a comet. His golden hair caught the sunlight, making him appear like a radiant figure ascending to the heavens.
Within seconds, he was gone, leaving behind nothing but awe-struck silence.
Tessa sat frozen, her mouth slightly open. "Did that… just happen?"
Parker leaned back in his seat, his expression unreadable. His attention had shifted entirely, but not to the wreckage. His mind raced, trying to process what he had just witnessed.
"He's real," someone in the crowd whispered.
"Captain Sun," another voice said, reverent and trembling.
The name echoed through the air, solidifying the moment into legend. For Parker, though, it was more than just a spectacle. It was a question.
Golden hair, sun-like radiance, and inhuman power. Who—or what—was Captain Sun?
The scene was chaos. Survivors stood in clusters, some leaning against each other for support, others still trembling as adrenaline coursed through their veins.
Heated discussions broke out among the witnesses, their voices rising above the distant wail of approaching sirens.
"Did you see him? He just… appeared out of nowhere!" one man exclaimed, his hands gesturing wildly.
"Yeah, but did anyone get a good look at his face?" a woman shot back. "I swear, it was like… blurred or something. No mask, nothing, but I couldn't see it."
"I got it on video!" a teenager yelled, holding up his phone triumphantly. "Look!"
A small crowd gathered around him, eager to see the footage. Gasps filled the air as they replayed the scene—Captain Sun's golden hair, his radiant aura, and his impossibly fast movements. Yet, even on the high-definition screen, his face remained an enigma. It was there, clear as day, but somehow unseeable.
"That's not normal," another man muttered, his voice tinged with awe and fear. "He's not normal."
"Normal? Are you kidding me? He breathed fucking ice! He's a goddamn superhero!" someone else shouted, their excitement infectious.
Others weren't so quick to embrace the miracle. "Superhero, my ass," a skeptical voice argued. "Nobody's that powerful without some kind of catch. You saw the frost—what if he's dangerous?"
The debates raged on, a whirlwind of disbelief, gratitude, and lingering fear. Survivors grappled with the sheer luck of escaping death, while others debated the nature of the man who had saved them. Phones continued to capture every moment, documenting the wreckage, the frost, and the aftermath.
A minute later, the sound of sirens grew louder, and emergency vehicles flooded the scene. Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars screeched to a halt, their personnel springing into action. Paramedics rushed to treat the injured, while firefighters doused the remaining hotspots.
The media wasn't far behind, reporters scrambling to get statements from witnesses.
Inside the car, Parker leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the chaos outside. He let out a quiet sigh, his expression unreadable.
Captain Sun had made an entrance again, and the world would be buzzing about it for weeks.
Beside him, Tessa was practically bouncing in her seat, her face alight with excitement.
"That was insane," she gushed, her words tumbling over each other. "Did you see how he moved? And the frost—oh my God, it was like a movie!"
Parker didn't share her enthusiasm. His thoughts drifted back to the cryptic message he'd received not long ago, the one from the so-called gods.
At first he thought someone out there had found out about his system but when he thought about it, it was impossible so he had used the system Appraisal function to look into the first clue he had—the paper that carried the message itself and....
Surprise... A message from gods the same beings he knew were the reason he got the system thanks to the first things it said.
So were the gods just testing his intelligence with a prank message or were they just dumb to remember he had a system that could get his the first clues.
He didn't think the latter! They might've probably thought of pranking him.
And well, for a second, okay just a few seconds, they almost gave him a scare. He thought he might need to remind them who they were dealing with? Well no need for that.
First plunder 'em!
'Gods and now a hero, huh?' he mused.
His lips twitched into a faint smirk as he watched Tessa, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Human ignorance is really bliss," he muttered under his breath, his tone more resigned than mocking.
Tessa, too caught up in her excitement, didn't catch his words. She was too busy scrolling through her phone, checking for any videos or posts about the event.
Meanwhile, Parker stayed silent, his thoughts heavier than ever.
For the first time, he was a step closer to believing that the gods might be really playing in the mortal world for their little excitement—and that Captain Sun might be more than just a hero.
****
Thanks @Ryankwan for the golden ticket. You're the first and I really appreciate it. Thanks for the support and everyone too.